


I'll Keep You Warm When the Snow Starts to Fall

by hazel_3017



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Dogs, Fluff, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Pre-Slash, light UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 22:38:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3266975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazel_3017/pseuds/hazel_3017
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He opens the door, and the dogs don't even have the decency to wait before they brush past him, their big hulking bodies shoving into him, casual as you please.</p><p>"Okay, then," Sid says, sighing in exasperation when they sit down to stare at him expectantly. "I'll call Geno."</p><p>They bark at him cheerfully, as if to say, "Do as you please, human, but we're probably gonna stay a while."</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Keep You Warm When the Snow Starts to Fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Northisnotup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northisnotup/gifts).



> This is for [northisnotup](http://northisnotup.tumblr.com/) on tumblr, who wanted a Sid/Geno dog sled AU.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction

Pittsburgh gets these really, really bad blizzards. Just snow everywhere. Most Yinzers spend at least 40% of winter using sleds for transportation because the cars just can't handle all that snow.

 

So does Geno. He has this gaggle of dogs. Big, hulking Russian bear dogs. And they're the best, obviously, but also very mischievous, and two of them _adores_ Sid. Just adores him. They'll take any opportunity to escape outside, making their way through the snow to Sid's home.

 

Sid always hears them before he sees them, whining at the door like they know if they just keep at it, Sid will let them in soon enough because he is a sucker like that, and no matter how many times he scolds Geno for not looking after them properly, he can't just leave them out in the cold (and Sid knows they prefer the outside, he does. They get too warm and irritable when inside too long, but they’re crying, and he can’t just ignore them).

 

He opens the door, and the dogs don't even have the decency to wait before they brush past him, their big hulking bodies shoving into him, casual as you please.

 

"Okay, then," Sid says, sighing in exasperation when they sit down to stare at him expectantly. "I'll call Geno."

 

They bark at him cheerfully, as if to say, "Do as you please, human, but we're probably gonna stay a while." That's what always happens anyway. If Minka and Rudolph decide they're not gonna move, neither Sid nor Geno has a snowball's chance in hell of moving them.

 

It's not long until Geno shows up. He smiles sheepishly at Sid, shrugging his shoulders in a "what can you do" kind of way, and Sid should not find that as adorable as he does. He really shouldn't, but Sid is as much of a sucker for Geno as he is for his dogs.

 

"You staying long?" he asks, looking around Geno to the gaggle of dogs happily resting in the mountain of snow outside his door.

 

They look as if they're not planning on moving for a while yet, and Minka and Rudolph join them gleefully, barking happily as they run out to their brothers and sisters.

 

Geno looks at them fondly. He turns back to Sid, lifting his hand to show the small space between his thumb and index finger. "Little while,” he says, and barges past Sid in much the same manner as his dogs had earlier.

 

Sid sighs again, but follows dutifully. He knows better than to let Geno unsupervised into his kitchen. Geno will raid the fridge and find Sid's secret slice of cheesecake, and Sid is saving it for that night's episode of duck dynasty. He's not letting Geno get his greedy hands on it.

 

"So how they'd get out this time?" he asks as he takes the piece of cake from Geno's hands and firmly puts it back in the fridge.

 

Geno pouts at him, but busies himself with making tea instead, his movements easy and familiar as he moves around Sidney’s kitchen. "Dig through fence," he says, and sounds completely unconcerned that they've dug _another_ hole to escape through.

 

"And you didn't try and stop them?" Sid asks, frowning disapprovingly.

 

Geno shrugs carelessly. "Know where they go," he says, and well, yeah.

 

"Still," Sid says. "This is the fifth time this month alone. We're not even midway through January."

 

Geno gives another shrug. "They want see you. Know you best. Can't yell at them when they know you best."

 

"Yes, well," Sid says, and tries to hold back his pleased smile, but Geno grins, his eyes crinkling with it, and Sid knows he's been caught.

 

"It's dangerous for them to be out alone. It's not that short a way. They could get hurt."

 

Geno stares at him incredulously. "Who hurt them? They bigger than dog and man. No bears in Pittsburgh, Sid,” he reminds Sidney.

 

He's right of course. The dogs are much too big for anything to really threaten them. They're well trained dogs, though, and Sid knows they would never attack anyone unprovoked. He's only seen them go at someone once before—Sid doesn't really like to think about that. Actively avoids the memory of _hurt-scared-cold-hungry_ —

 

"I guess," Sid says. He accepts the cup of tea Geno gives him. "Minka is pregnant isn't she?" Sidney hadn’t seen her for a while, but it was obvious from the way she had filled out. Big, even for her race.

 

Geno's shoulders sags, and he hums a confirmation.

 

"You won't keep the litter?" Sid asks even as he knows Geno can't. He's already got his hands full. This is going to be horrible, he knows. Minka will be miserable, and Geno will be miserable, and Sid will be miserable by proxy, and also because he really does love those dogs.

 

"Try find good family, but—" But they're Russian bear dogs. They're so big; they’re expensive to keep and require a lot of space. Geno will have a hard time finding a suitable place for them. It's more than likely he'll have to split the litter up. Sidney's heart breaks just thinking about it.

 

Geno's gaggle of dogs are made up of two litters, and they're as intimate and in synch as human siblings. Sid doesn't even want to consider what it would have been like splitting them up, and it hurts to know it's the likely fate of Minka's pups.

 

"I'll help," Sid says, and ignores the warm glowing feeling in his chest when Geno breaks into a grin at this.

 

"Best," Geno croons at him, and repeats it in Russian for good measure. He doesn't ask Sid to take on the litter, even though he probably wants to.

 

It wouldn't be fair to either of them, because Sid would probably end up doing it if Geno kept nagging at him long enough, but he would have hated it. Would have hated being away for so much of the time and knowing the pups were back home, worrying if they were okay or not. He'd make himself physically sick worrying over it, and Sidney is grateful that Geno knows him well enough to understand.

 

Outside, the dogs start making enough of a ruckus that Sid can tell they're probably bored now, ready to get moving again. He looks out the kitchen window, shaking his head and laughing a little when he sees Rudolph badgering Rocky, the undisputed alpha of the flock. Rudolph doesn't seem to care that his teasing is getting dangerously close to annoying the alpha, because Rudolph is about the dumbest dog Sid has ever met.

 

He reminds him a lot of Nealer, actually. Lovable and goofy, with no sense of self-preservation.

 

"You should probably get out there. Rocky looks ready to tear off Rudolph's tail."

 

Geno curses viciously in Russian. "That stupid dog!" he says. "Always do, and always regret, then do again. Stupid!" He sighs, putting down his teacup and eyeing it regretfully for a moment. It's still half full.

 

Sidney laughs at him. "I'll walk you out," he says, and follows Geno when he makes his way out of the kitchen and back to the hallway.

 

He waits as Geno bundles up in his winter coat and pulls his toque over his head. The brim casts shadows over his eyes, and he looks like a thug, Sid thinks. But then Geno smiles, and—

 

Sidney reaches out before he can stop himself. He pushes at the toque so that it doesn't shade Geno's eyes quite so much. "There," he says, voice gone quiet all of a sudden.

 

Geno sucks in a startled breath, and Sid blinks, flushing heavily as he realises what he's done. He makes to pull back, but before he can Geno catches his hand in his, the soft leather of his gloves silky smooth against Sid's skin.

 

"Thank you," Geno says, just as quiet.

 

They stare at each other, and Sidney doesn't know what this is. There is tension around them, thick and growing, and Sid knows there is a lot unsaid here.

 

Geno doesn't seem inclined to move, content to hold Sid's hand in his and stare at him.

 

Finally, unable to bear the heat of his gaze, Sid looks to the side, thinking his cheeks must be a bright red from the force of his blush. He's not being subtle at all. "You'e welcome," he says, desperate to fill the silence, knowing that if he doesn’t, he’ll probably end up doing something stupid— _he’s not ready, he’s not—_

 

Geno squeezes his hand gently. "Come say goodbye to dogs? Minka will be sad if not."

 

Sid smiles at that, grateful that Geno is willing to continue on without making a big deal out of this, whatever it is.

 

He says, "Okay," and follows Geno out into the cold.

 

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] I'll Keep You Warm When the Snow Starts to Fall by Hazel_3017](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11406588) by [brightnail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightnail/pseuds/brightnail)




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